1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an electrical connector. The invention more particularly concerns an electrical connector having features of a wire clamp connector and a wire trap connector.
2. Discussion of the Background
For years now, competition in the electronics industry has forced contractors to keep material and labor costs at a minimum. Electrical devices and the associated labor required to install the electrical devices are components of the overall cost which must be reduced. The cost of electrical components can most easily be reduced by making them easier to assemble, thus reducing the associated labor cost component of the electrical device. Thus, labor costs are present throughout the assembly of the electrical device and the installation of the electrical device. Other cost are associated with the finished structure such as repair and replacement of electrical devices.
To facilitate the installation of printed circuit boards, printed circuit boards are known to have wire clamp or wire trap electrical connectors permanently mounted thereon. The wire clamp and wire trap electrical connectors have one end of their connectors soldered to traces of the printed circuit board, and the other end of their connectors receive external conductors so as to make an electrical connection between the external conductors and the traces on the printed circuit board.
The wire trap electrical connector works by pushing a conductor into an entrance of the wire trap electrical connector whereby the electrical connector "traps" the conductor between two opposing electrically conductive members and makes an electrical connection with the conductor. The conductor is press fitted between the two opposing members. Typically, only solid conductors are used in combination with a wire trap electrical connector since the conductor reacts a force along its length during insertion. During such an insertion, a cable made of stranded conductors may flatten out, thus loosing their circular cross-section as an assembly of stranded conductors and, hence, loose the electrical connection with the wire trap electrical connector.
Wire trap electrical connectors typically accept, at most, two different gauges of wire. Thus, the environment in which the wire trap electrical connector is assembled to another device must be a controlled environment. Such controlled environments exist at a factory where the housing which contains the wire trap electrical connector is attached to the device.
The wire clamp electrical connector works by inserting a conductor into an entrance which is larger than a diameter or thickness of the conductor, thus the conductor slides into the opening with little or no resistance. An external force is then applied to the wire clamp electrical connector so as to "clamp" the conductor between two opposing electrically conductive members of the wire clamp electrical connector thus making an electrical connection between the conductor and the wire clamp electrical connector. The wire clamp electrical connector accepts conductors which are solid as well as stranded conductors.
Unlike the wire trap electrical connector, the wire clamp electrical connector accepts many different gauges of conductors, where the conductors can be solid or stranded. Thus, the wire clamp electrical connector can be used in an environment which is not very controlled. Such environments exist out in the field where a device containing the wire clamp electrical connector is connected to pre-existing conductors which the manufacturer of the device has no control over the size and type of conductor which is pre-existing.
Wire clamp and wire trap electrical connectors are used since they simplify the attachment of external conductors to printed circuit boards. Furthermore, the attachment of a conductor to a wire trap or a wire clamp electrical connector is repeatable. However, the attachment of wire trap and wire clamp electrical connectors to a printed circuit board are labor intensive, since the connectors are soldered in-place. Such attachment problems are present in the termination of other devices also. One of the most difficult termination applications is the termination of electrical conductors or traces present on devices which are wholly enclosed by a housing.
Therefore, there is a need for an electrical connector which is easy to make, easy to install, easy to use, and is inexpensive to produce and can fit in a small space.